On Thursday, the Supreme Court will hear the case of two students who alleged that they were sexually assaulted by another student during a campus meeting.
On Tuesday, the court will hear another case of a woman who alleges that she was sexually assaulted in her dormitory by a fellow student.
While the two cases have garnered widespread attention, the question remains: Should the court have brought more cases in the first place?
What to do?
Lawyer and activist Preeti Singh Chaudhary says the court should have taken more cases against the alleged offenders and also tried them in court.
“The court should not have sent cases to trial, as this is not appropriate.
They should have sent them to the police station.
Otherwise, the women would have been convicted in the criminal court,” he said.
Chaudharies legal counsel, Preeta Singh Chudas, said the Supreme Judicial Commission’s findings are valid.
“We will seek redress in the Supreme Courts.”
“This is the most egregious case of sexual assault that I have seen in the last five years,” she said.
“We have all the evidence in the world, but no case has been brought.
So, what we are doing now is making a strong stand and we will be challenging it.
This case will also help us make an impact in the society.”
The Supreme Court has previously dealt with sexual assault cases, including a rape case in 2013 and a sexual assault case in 2015, in which three women alleged that a man assaulted them at a hotel in Delhi.
In its 2016 verdict, the apex court said that the sexual assault of women was the result of a culture of impunity in society, with some women reporting to police but not being believed.
“It is an epidemic of impunity, which is leading to women reporting sexual assault to the authorities but not to the courts.
The victimisation is rampant, but the accused are acquitted,” the apex Court had said.
“The fact that a case is not heard in the courts does not mean that there is not an issue.
The judicial system does not have the capacity to provide justice to victims of sexual violence.
It is the responsibility of the courts to provide an impartial judicial system to ensure the victim’s rights are protected.”
The ruling BJP government has said it will address the problem of sexual assaults on campuses by introducing a zero-tolerance policy, including mandatory reporting to the local police, and setting up a panel to monitor rape complaints.
But it is unclear whether the government will implement the measures, which have been criticised by activists.
In October, the Centre banned the sale of liquor, food and mobile phones to students, but students were allowed to use the internet.
The law was amended last year to allow police to confiscate mobile phones without a court order.